Do you Want change so bad that it hurts. Have you prayed through bitter tears, "Lord, please change me? I don't want to be like this." You have to WANT to change, you have to believe that you actually CAN change, with God's help. That is how you begin the process of cooperating with the Lord for your transformation. Secondly, confession and repentance will lead to change. "If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) As you agree with God that what you’ve done is wrong, and as you humbly seek His forgiveness, He begins the process of cleansing you and giving you a fresh beginning. Sometimes, the Lord will lead you to share your struggles with a trustworthy brother or sister in Christ, and to ask them to intercede for you. "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16 ) This can be an effective way to bring certain sins out of the darkness, which is the devil's domain, and into the light, where Jesus and His healing can be found.
Heartfelt, persistent prayer will begin the change in you. Discover that some of the most powerful prayers are those found in the Scriptures. David prayed: "Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You." (Psalm 51:10-12) Holy-Spirit-inspired petitions like these, when prayed in faith and sincerity, are destined to be answered. Make Scripture-based declarations of faith regularly. Whenever you begin to feel guilty or condemned, even after you've confessed and repented for your sins, say, "Thank you, Lord, that you’ve begun a good work in me, and you’ll continue it until the day of Jesus Christ!" (Philippians 1:6) This will remind you that God will never give up on you, and He will never stop molding you into the image of His Son. Another faith-building declaration you need to make daily is, "God is working in you both to WILL and to DO His good pleasure!" (Philippians 2:13) The Lord is not only committed to helping you obey Him, but He is continually giving you the desire to do what pleases Him most. That's why the longer you walk with God, and the more you invest in your relationship with Him, the more sin loses its appeal.
Another important key to cooperating with God for your transformation is devoting yourself to the Word of God. "God's Word is an indispensable weapon" against the forces of darkness, and all that would keep you from becoming more like Christ. (Ephesians 6:17) You CAN change, and the Lord is more than willing and able to help you, if you'll just do your part.
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